Fukushuu no Seiken
by NanbeiNoHana
Summary: She had a sacred mission to be accomplished at all costs. He assumed he would never see her again. But somehow all his steps led to that pink-haired mysterious woman. NejiSaku, AU
1. Chapter 1

_In almost every aspect, the world of Sekai is just like the Earth. The sky is blue, the sun is yellow, and the moon is silvery. In that world, the water, the air, the plants and the animals are the same as ours. Yes, Sekai has human beings… but there's way more than that._

_Sekai is also a world of ninjas – shinobis and kunoichis. They are everywhere, in countries, cities and villages. For each ten or twelve humans, there is at least one with special fighting abilities and/or mystical powers – the chakra. Being a shinobi is a common job in Sekai – both for minor missions, like finding lost cats, and for major deeds, such as fighting against ultimate villains. There are lesser shinobis, who protect their own villages, and shinobis whose fame and powers grant them the title of living legends, for they are able to change the world's destiny._

_The greater of these shinobis is a champion who was born in the recent time. He is known as Uchiha Sasuke, and no power seemed to be able to beat him. A sacred warrior, built with the power of the Nine Tailed Beasts, who is the ultimate defender of truth, honor and justice._

_Uchiha Sasuke is missing…_

* * *

**Chapter 1. The elemental kunoichi and the Konoha jounin**

It was a bright morning in Suna. Just like every morning in the village, the citizens were walking casually, chatting, buying groceries and scolding kids for not behaving themselves. Men courted women; women gossiped with each other; children ran away from their teachers; guards patrolled the streets. It would be a normal morning if it wasn't for the arrival of a stranger – a young woman with a wolf.

"So... This is what a shinobi village is like?"

Wide jade eyes looked in awe and fear at all those people and buildings and… sand. 'No wonder it's called the Village Hidden in the Sand' the woman thought, unaware of all the eyes cast upon her. She didn't notice, for she had never been among so many people before, but her rather unusual appearance was quickly becoming the center of all attentions. After all, it wasn't every day that the citizens of Suna saw a pink-haired woman dressed in ragged pieces of what one day must have been clothes. Her bare feet seemed to be unaffected by the scalding sand beneath them as she walked down the streets, still unsure of what to do and where to go to find-

"Hey, you!" a male voice shouted. She turned around and saw four men running towards her. "Otome, you can't walk through the city with a… What in the world is that thing, anyway?" the man asked, pointing to the wolf.

"I've seen one of them in the woods of Hi no Kuni. It's a forest wolf, and it killed one of our chuunins!" other man said, looking suspiciously at the woman and the animal.

"I bet it was in self defense" she muttered. The woman wasn't sure if she could trust those men, but since she had no clue of how she would find the person she was looking for, she had no choice but ask for help. "We don't want to go against your laws. We're looking for a man called Hyuuga Neji! If you tell us where to-"

"Hyuuga Neji, the Konoha jounin? Otome, everyone is after the reward we offered for his head! He is the most dangerous criminal in our Bingo Book." A third man said as if it was the most obvious thing.

'Criminal? Reward?' she scratched her head in confusion. "But I need Hyuuga Neji's services! Only he can help me to break into the palace of-"

"That's enough, otome. It's one thing to walk around with a dangerous beast beside you, but to openly confess you want to hire a criminal? You should better come with us without causing any more trouble!"

"But I don't…" it was when the man who seemed their leader grabbed her wrist, rather violently. "Don't touch me! LET GO OF ME!" In the next second, the man was on the ground; 

the wolf was attacking his throat. Blood splashed everywhere. "No, cousin! Don't attack him, I'm fine!" The wolf let go of the now half-dead man. Only to be slashed with a sharp katana.

"My friend better be cured by our medics, or you'll be in big trouble! Get her to the dungeons!"

"You killed him… YOU KILLED HIM! You heartless monster, you killed my cousin! Stay away from me!" Acting on instinct, she frantically formed some hand seals. "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" Faster than the guard could see, she buried him on the sandy ground, leaving only the head free.

"How dare you? Kill her too!" one of them yelled. At the same time, dozens of guards appeared from everywhere. "She wants to hire that Hyuuga and attacked one of our best jounins! Don't let her scape!"

'What do I do now? I can't die; I have to accomplish my mission!' While her brain was freezing from panic, her body acted by itself. Her hands formed seals without her noticing. "Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!" A huge wall of dirt isolated her from the raging Suna-nins. She could hear them trying to shatter her defensive wall. Before she could do anything else, though, she felt dozens of hands and ropes around her. And it was the last thing she felt before someone hit her head and she blacked out.

When she opened her eyes, she saw nothing but darkness and a small source of light up high in the sky. Only when her eyes adapted to the darkness, she noticed she was surrounded by cold stones, and the light was actually the moon seen through a small opening. Slowly the memories started to come back to her.

"Baka! Stubborn! I told you I wanted to go by myself! 'I'm going with you to protect you', you said, 'and to avoid you get yourself in trouble'. And now you're dead!" she squeezed her head with her hands. "He liked me! He really did! How could I expect he wouldn't come with me?" A small rat approached her. She reached out her hand and caressed its head; animals had the power to ease her mind. "Maybe the idiot was me. But what could I have done? Refuse a sacred mission? He's going to die if I don't-"

"Ahem." She turned her head towards the male voice, but saw nothing. "When you finish your talk with the rat, can we have a business meeting?" Now she could see a silhouette outside her window. She couldn't see his face, only the outline of his body. "I heard you're in the dungeons because of me. If you're still interested in my services…"

"Are you really Hyuuga Neji, the Konoha jounin?" she asked, not liking the fact that she couldn't see his eyes. How would she know if he was telling the truth?

"Yes, I am. As a proof, I will set you free from here, take you to a safe place and then we can properly talk."

"Hey! There's someone outside the window! Guards, go get them!" someone outside shouted.

"Shimatta!" he cursed under his breath. "I won't have enough time to precisely calculate the right amount of explosive tags. Woman, get as far as possible from this wall. This will most likely be a huge explosion."

She did as he told, and the next thing she saw was an intense light coming from the wall.

* * *

"Hyuuga Neji?"She asked, nudging the man lying in front of her. He stirred and slowly his eyelids fluttered. "Oh, thank Kami!" His eyes were now fully opened; she gasped. "Your eyes! You're… blind! And it's my fault! I'm so sorry…"

"I am not blind, woman. My eyes are naturally white." He sat up and blinked a few times. "Good. Now that the walls are down, we only have to avoid the incoming guards and-"

"Ano… Hyuuga Neji, we're far from Suna. We've been travelling; you've been unconscious for two days now. Are you feeling ok?" she asked, her eyes filled with her innate kindness.

"Two days?" he muttered to himself. "Of course I am. It was nothing; I've been through much worse before." He ran his rand through his long coffee-brown hair, smoothing it. "Well, you never told me what you wanted me for. Care to explain?"

The woman smiled. "You're noble and brave, Hyuuga Neji. Unlike the other humans I met lately… First, you risk your life to save me. And now you're looking forward to fight dangers you don't even know…"

"Uh… But what exactly do you want me to do for you? What dangers are you talking about?"

"That" she pointed to a large building not too far from them. Although it was in the middle of the woods, it had the same architecture style as the buildings in Suna. There were some towers, no windows, and the walls were sand colored. "The Palace of Gaara".

"WHAT?!" Neji widened his white eyes.

"I guess you know the legend better than I do. Sabaku no Gaara is a very strong man and the guardian of the Ichibi no Shukaku Sapphire. But it was a burden greater than his strength, so he hid the gem inside this palace until they day it would be needed. And this day has arrived… I need the Sapphire; I need all the Nine Tailed Beasts gems to save someone… To give life to someone…" she lowered her head, her voice almost a whisper. "I don't fear death, Hyuuga Neji, but I fear failure! That's why I need you, an experienced warrior, to fight by my side!"

"I may be experienced, but I'm certainly not immortal. I'm not willing to risk my life for such a nonsense mission." He said stoically, not really caring about the sudden fire in her eyes.

"Fine! I was wrong about you; you're a coward just like everyone else. And my cousin died for nothing!" she turned around. "I'll have to do this by myself, then." She formed some hand seals. "Mokuton: Tsurugi to Yoroi no Jutsu!" Instantly, a wooden rustic armor rose from the ground, enveloping her slim yet strong body, protecting the most important organs. Soon a wooden sword followed the armor; she grabbed it with both hands and stormed towards the palace, leaving a dumbfounded Neji behind.

"Holy hell; she's an elemental kunoichi!"

* * *

Of course, she expected the palace to be infested with dangers, but she didn't expect them to be so many. She had already destroyed at least twenty sand clones and was fighting against what seemed to be the last one. But as soon as she cut the clone's head off, she felt something flying too close to her face. She heard a thud and turned around to see a clone on the ground, pierced with two kunais.

"I'm always in need of some good fights, you know. And now that we're partners, will you tell me your name?" she didn't see Neji, but recognized his voice.

"It's… Sakura." She scratched her head, her cheeks slightly flushed. "It's the first time I tell my name to another human being." She started to walk, getting deeper inside the palace.

"So, you're an elemental kunoichi… Then why didn't you summon your weapon in Suna?" he asked, following her.

"When I was in the dungeon, you arrived when I had just woken up, so I didn't have time to think about anything. And that city is sterile. I can't create elements, only control them. I need both earth and water in order to use wood, and there was no water in the city. But I could control the earth as well as use some healing jutsus on you after the explosion."

"Healing jutsus?" he looked at hear with a glint of disbelief in his eyes.

"Of course! How would I be able to mend your body if not using healing jutsus?" she said as if it was the most obvious thing, missing his pure horror face. "Hmmm, I wonder if the Sapphire is behind this door." Sakura reached out her hand to the doorknob, but Neji's hand caught her wrist first.

"Wait. We don't know what's inside that chamber. Let me take care of this. Byakugan!"

His veins popped up around his eyes, catching her attention. She looked at him, trying to figure out why his eyes were like that. It was weird, yet it seemed powerful. He seemed to notice her thoughts, because he could see her curious face with his kekkei genkai.

"It's a special ability that runs into my family. It gives me the power to see through physical obstacles, such as skin, walls and distance."

"Really? That's amazing! Anyway, what did you see inside the chamber?"

"I saw the Ichibi no Shukaku Sapphire and a man with a dangerous chakra. He knows we're here and it seems like... he's waiting."

The pink-haired woman smiled. "Then we can't make him wait." She opened the door before Neji could stop her or say anything else.

"Greetings, Sabaku no Gaara-sama." Sakura bowed; Gaara nodded, acknowledging her. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Welcome, Kouya no Sakura." She widened her eyes. How did he know her name? He noticed her confusion. "You're not the only one who has dreams… Anyway, I'm pleased to see you were able to get to this chamber. Since you made it so far, I have no doubt you should have the Ichibi no Shukaku Sapphire." The jade-eyed man took the deep blue spherical gem and, in large strides, approached the woman. "Good luck with the other eight." Gaara carefully put the Sapphire in her hands, purposely ignoring the suspicious glares Neji was giving him.

"Thank you, Sabaku no Gaara-sama. You don't know what it means to me." She bowed again.

"Sakura… We should go now. I don't trust this guy." Neji said, not caring if Gaara would hear it or not. The redhead smirked.

"And you shouldn't trust me, Konoha jounin. There's only one reason why I won't kill you right now, but you don't need to know it. Not now." He said coolly, without any trace of anger or hate in his voice or face.

* * *

"Sakura?" he spoke as soon as they left the palace. "May I ask you two things?"

"Of course, Hyuuga Neji. What is it you want to know?"

"First of all… How did you and Sabaku no Gaara know each other? And why do you need the Nine Tailed Beasts gems to save someone's life? Can't you just use your healing jutsus?"

Sakura looked deeply into his white eyes. "Well… It may sound strange, but I'm having lots of dreams lately. They started as soon as he…" She looked away, unsure if she should talk about _him_ or not. "Well, in these dreams I see a lot of things, and in a particular one I saw the Ichibi no Shukaku Sapphire. The dream told me how to get it; I should go to Suna, find Hyuuga Neji the Konoha Jounin, go to the Palace of Gaara and talk to Sabaku no Gaara to get the Sapphire."

"You dreamed about me?" he asked, not being able to hide his surprise.

"Yes, I did. And apparently Sabaku no Gaara dreamed about us, too. I don't know; sometimes I feel that a greater force is guiding me in my journey."

"And what about the one you need to save?"

"I… Well, I don't know very much about it myself, but one day I had a dream about someone needing my help. I followed the dream's instructions and found the body of a man in the middle of what seemed to be the remnants of a huge battle. I took him with me, even he being dead, because the dream said he could be resurrected. This is what I need the gems for."

"Who is this man?"

"I honestly don't know. But the dreams told me he's some kind of a hero, and that resurrecting him would be my sacred mission." Sakura pursed her lips; she had a feeling that she shouldn't have told him that much, but she wasn't going to see Neji again anyway… "Oh, the people in Suna told me you're a criminal. Is it true? I mean, it's hard to believe, because you helped me…"

"I see you don't know much about this world. The thing is, I'm a shinobi, and as a shinobi sometimes I have to kill people. It's not personal; it's my job, and I'm not the only one doing it. But I happened to have killed lots of shinobis from Suna, so this is one reason why they want my head. Other reason is the secret behind my eyes."

"Uh… Thanks for not killing me, I guess?"

"Hn." He rolled his eyes. He was not a murderer; he was a shinobi fighting for his country. Until he was commanded to, he wouldn't kill a person.

"Well, Hyuuga Neji, here's your payment." She handed him a small bag with some golden pieces inside. 'And I thought I would never use those yellow metal seeds…' "Thanks for everything. If you ever need help, look for me in Kouya!" She smiled kindly. "I wish you a long happy life."

"Thanks." He saw no reason for such a warm farewell, since they were nothing more than temporary working partners. As a matter of fact, he saw no reason for warm farewells whatsoever.

"Good bye, Hyuuga Neji." And she disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"Wait a second… Did she say Kouya? That island inhabited by beasts of all sort? There are no people there! Who is this woman?" he asked to no one in particular, while disappearing in a poof of smoke.

* * *

Two days after that, Kouya's only human inhabitant got back home. Soon she would have to tell her family – the forest wolves' pack – about her cousin's death, but first she had something more urgent to do. The pink-haired woman took the Sapphire in her hands and examined it carefully. It was deep blue, translucent, perfectly spherical, and had a raccoon inside it – the Ichibi no Shukaku soul. She stopped in front of a cave and took a deep breath before entering it. Deep inside a cave, on a leafy makeshift bed, laid the body of a man. Sakura looked at his fair complexion, his black hair, his high cheekbones, before kneeling down beside him. She put the Sapphire on his chest, and it was instantly absorbed by the man's body.

"This gem is in its place now… But I still need the others. I'll bring all of them, my hero! I'll bring you back to life! Because this world needs you so much… And so do I."

She got up and left the cave. Because of that, she didn't see the onyx eyes that opened for a second before closing again.

* * *

**A/N:** Hiiii there! This time I decided to write an AU story; it's based on a very cool Brazilian manga! I hope you guys like it :-) In this story, Sakura is around 21-22 years old; other characters' ages are compatible with this time skip. I already wrote the entire plot (not the chapters, only the main ideas), and I hope you guys like it! My other stories will be updated as soon as inspiration comes back.

I'd like to dedicate this story to my dear friend Aloha.Laney; I know it's not the story I promised you, but...

I guess you deserve some translations… Here you are:

Fukushuu no Seiken – Holy Sword of Revenge;

Sekai – literally means "world" :-P Couldn't think of a better name, heh;

Otome – in this case, it means young lady;

Hi no Kuni – Fire Country (I like to stick to Japanese names);

Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu – Element Earth: Inner Decapitation Skill;

Doton: Doroku Gaeshi – Element Earth: Upside Down Mud Wall;

Mokuton: Tsurugi to Yoroi no Jutsu – Element Wood: Sword and Armor Jutsu (created by me);

Kouya – Wilderness, deserted land

**Disclaimer:** Do I really need to say that I don't own Naruto?


	2. Chapter 2

_The story so far..._

_Leaving the wild island of Kouya for the first time, Sakura goes to Suna in order to find the famous shinobi Hyuuga Neji, the Konoha Jounin. A tragic misunderstanding culminated with the death of her cousin, a forest wolf, and with her being arrested._

_Sakura was found and rescued by no one other than Hyuuga Neji himself. Together, they broke into the Palace of Gaara, where Sakura got the Ichibi no Shukaku Sapphire._

_Very thankful to Neji, Sakura returns to Kouya with the gem. There, she's hiding the body of a man who happens to be Uchiha Sasuke, the most powerful shinobi of Sekai, who is missing to the rest of the world._

_The Sapphire brought by Sakura is only one of the nine gems needed to bring him back to life…_

* * *

**Chapter 2. The world's most powerful kunoichi**

_Sakura looked fiercely at the monsters surrounding her. She had her armor and her sword, and wouldn't surrender without a fight. One by one, the monsters launched themselves towards her, and one by one she was killing them. But suddenly five of them attacked her simultaneously. In a matter of milliseconds, she was unarmed and immobilized. 'Now it's the end' she thought, only to hear a slashing sound behind her. She turned her head and saw _him_ holding a sword, looking at her reassuringly. She smiled as he gave her sword back to her calloused hands. Together, fighting side by side, they quickly killed all the monsters left. They looked at each other and, this time, he smiled at her. The black-haired man opened his, but before he could say something, his body disintegrated into thousands of little pieces. Sakura widened her eyes in horror._

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she sat up, crying her eyes out, but was relieved to know it had been just a nightmare. She looked at the body laying a few feet away from herandreached out her hand towards his face. Before she touched him, though, she quickly brought her hand back. 'I can't touch him. Not like that. My impure hands would only maculate his heroic aura.'

A few minutes later, she was walking on a rocky beach. She desperately needed to clear her head; those nightmares were driving her insane.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" a huge water dragon emerged from the sea. Sakura jumped on its back, ready for a relaxing afternoon in the ocean.

* * *

Very, very far from Kouya, deep inside the woods of Hi no Kuni, there was a village called Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Konoha was a large village, home for nearly 500,000 people – it was an impressive number in Sekai. As a consequence, the village had a great number of shinobis; because of that, reaching the elite group was something only a few could achieve. And three of these elite ninjas were currently talking inside Konoha's most popular tavern, the Ichiraku Ramen.

"An elemental kunoichi? Are you sure?" a woman with two buns in her head asked.

Neji sighed. "I know what I saw. She was able to control wood, and only elemental ninjas can do it, Tenten. And I saw her chakra with my Byakugan; she can control and combine all the five elements, although she can't create them. She summoned wooden armor and sword and fought against a bunch of sand clones. And she can use healing jutsus! She said she used them to rebuild my body; after the explosion, my limbs scattered on the floor. Since I'm pretty fine, she must be really powerful."

"Wow," she said, "I can only hope she's not from an enemy nation."

"She's not. She said she lived in Kouya."

"KOUYA? Neji, I think that the power of youth left you. You're delirious!" yelled a man with big round eyes and bushy eyebrows.

"Shut up, Lee! Are you saying that Neji is lying?" Tenten smacked him on the head.

"I'm afraid it's true, Lee" the Byakugan user continued with his controlled tone. "That woman knew nothing about the world, and she got to Suna dressed in rags accompanied by a forest wolf. Perhaps she does live in a wild island, after all. But it's not the weirdest part of the story."

"What? What could be weirder than this mysterious woman?" Lee asked and Tenten nodded in agreement.

"She said she was having dreams, and that these dreams were giving her orders. One of them told her to look for me in Suna. I was in a classified S-class mission; there was no way she could have known I would be there, at least no normal way, that is. And that Gaara freak recognized us from his dreams, too."

"Gaara? As in Sabaku no Gaara, the merciless Ichibi no Shukaku Saphire guardian?" The brunette woman widened her eyes. She knew Neji was highly skilled, but there was no way he could have survived a fight against the redhead.

"Yes, this Gaara. Can you believe he willingly gave her the Sapphire, and let us get away safely?" Neji took a long sip of his sake. He was in a huge need for a drink; that story was too strange to be true, and yet it was real.

"And why did he give her the Sapphire? I thought he was the guardian!"

"Well, Tenten, he is, but it had something to do with those dreams. Later that day, she told me about a man who would be resurrected with the power of the Nine Tailed Beasts gems, and seemingly she's on a sacred mission to retrieve all of them."

"So, when are you going to get the next gem? You should seize this opportunity and help the young lady with your youth, Neji!" Lee said with fire in his eyes.

"Of course not! This is none of my business. She hired me to get the Sapphire. We got it; the mission is over." The white-eyes man deadpanned.

"Ahem, I'm sorry to disturb you," the three of them turned their heads to see Ayame, the owner's daughter, talking to them, "but were you talking about the Nine Tailed Beasts gems? Because the guardian of the Yonbi no Sokou Diamond is here in Konoha."

"Isn't the guardian Yamanaka Ino, the world's most powerful kunoichi?" Tenten asked, truly interested in that information.

"Yes, she is the Diamond's guardian. You can find her at the Yuukon Inn."

"Thank you, Ayame-san!" Tenten bowed and looked at Lee. He nodded at her and they both dragged Neji out of the tavern.

"Neji! This is perfect! If you get the Diamond, you can meet your elemental kunoichi again! It looks like the hand of destiny is guiding you!"

"Are you out of your mind, Tenten? Since when she is _my_ elemental kunoichi? And why do you think I want to see her again?" now he was slightly annoyed.

"Oh, come on, Neji! Not ten minutes ago you were blabbering about how powerful she is…" the woman retorted.

"The fact that she's powerful doesn't mean anything other than the fact that she's powerful. If power was the only thing I look for in a woman, I would have fallen for you, Tenten."

She gave him a sly smirk and a light punch on the arm. "Don't tempt me, Hyuuga." And then realization hit her. "Wait a second! Are you saying that I have no other qualities other than my strength?" now she punched him hard, but he managed to dodge.

"By the way, you never told us how she looks. Is the pretty? Is she youthful?"

"Pretty? I don't know. But she has pink hair and green eyes."

"And that's it? But what shade of pink, what shade of green? Is she tall, short, slim, fat, long-haired, short-haired…?" Tenten asked, a bit of exasperation in her voice.

"These things are not relevant. But if you are so curious about her, I will show you how she looks. Henge!" And in a poof, he turned into Sakura. "There. Are you satisfied now?" he asked, his masculine voice not matching his new delicate face at all. "Kai!" and he got back to his original form.

"Wow, Neji, she's beautiful! You should really help her. Perhaps she falls for you too, and you can have a bunch of gorgeous kids!"

"Stop that nonsense, woman. I didn't fall for her and I won't meet her again, so please forget it. And… Where's Lee?"

Said man was on the floor, his tear faucet fully opened. "She's so beautiful, so youthful, so petite, so lovely, so, so… If I were powerful enough, I would help her myself! Neji, you have to help her! Do it for me!"

"No. I refuse. There's no way I get involved with it."

* * *

'Kuso…' Neji still didn't believe that Lee and Tenten managed to convince him to try and get the Diamond from Ino. He'd never seen her, but he heard that she could perform any jutsu without using hand seals. If it was true, he was risking his life merely by standing outside her window – yes, because he would sneak into her room and steal the Diamond, thanks to Lee's _brilliant_ plan. The coffee-haired man sighed. He silently activated his Byakugan; he wanted to get the gem as soon as possible, send it to Sakura, and go on with his life as if nothing of this nonsense had happened. His expert white eyes scanned the room, and soon enough he found the Diamond. It was rather unsecured, and this raised his suspicion. But there was no one in the hotel room, and he couldn't see any protection jutsus or seals. 'Better get this done right now.' With that in mind, he opened the window and entered the room, heading towards the suitcase where the Diamond was not-so-well hidden. Neji reached out his hands to open it…

"Stop right there, you shameless thief." A cold and menacing female voice echoed behind him.

How could he be so careless? He froze, trying to think of something to avoid his certain death. If Ino was as good as he heard, then he wouldn't stand a chance in a direct combat. What could he do? "I am no shameless thief." He said, with his calm baritone voice, but in his mind he scolded himself. 'Baka! Is it the best you can think of?'

"Of course not. You enter my room without my permission, heading straight to my belongings, and you are no thief. Please, do not insult my intelligence. Now turn around; I want to see your face before I pulverize you."

Neji sighed. He wouldn't surrender; if she thought that killing him would be that easy, then she was terribly mistaken. He slowly turned around. "Do not underestimate me."

"Don't make me laug-" the blonde widened her eyes. Suddenly she launched herself against him, hugging his neck tightly. "Neji-kun!! I can't believe it! You came here to see me!" She was squealing and cuddling and hugging him even tighter. He put his hands on her waist and not so gently pushed her away.

"What the hell? How do you know my name?" he asked, not hiding the anger in his voice.

"Oh, please! Who doesn't? After all, you are THE Hyuuga Neji, deadly powerful, drop-dead gorgeous, rich, and single!" Ino squealed even louder. "I would never expect to see you in my room! Now, please, forget that thief thing and let's have some fun. Just the two of us." She whispered seductively. He felt sick.

"Uh… Listen. There's a misunderstanding here. I'm not after you; I need the Yonbi no Sokou Diamond. Can you give it to me?" he looked into her blue eyes, trying to intimidate her.

"Neji-kun… Even if it's you asking, I can't give it to you. I am its guardian; it's my duty to protect it and keep it until the next Yamanaka becomes the guardian. Sorry, handsome…" she looked down.

"It's not for me. I have no interest in the Diamond."

"Then who is it for?"

"It's a long story…"

"I have plenty of time."

* * *

"So," Ino tapped her chin thoughtfully, "you want my gem in order to help a woman save someone you don't even know?"

"That's a way to put it. Actually, I did-"

He was interrupted by a loud squeal. "What a beautiful love story! You're helping the one you love save your rival. I should write a story about it!"

His eyebrow twitched. "Who said anything about love here, woman?"

"Your eyes, silly! It's a shame you're taken, but I have a soft spot for melodramatic love stories. I will help you, Neji-kun!" she smiled widely, patting his knee.

"It is not…" he stopped what he was saying. After all, it didn't matter what she thought, as long as he gave the Diamond to Sakura. By doing this, Tenten and Lee would leave him alone and stop that 'beautiful elemental kunoichi' nonsense. "Ok, Yamanaka-sama. Thanks for your help."

She grimaced. "Yamanaka-sama? That's no way to call a friend. Ino-chan is much better!"

'And since when we're friends?' Neji thought, but wisely said nothing.

"Anyway, it's a long way to Kouya. We should get going." The blonde said, while going behind a screen to change her clothes.

"Wait a second. 'We'? Are you insane, woman?"

"What's your problem? I said I can't give you the Diamond. It means that either I'll give it to her or she won't get it at all."

Suddenly an idea popped into his mind. "All right. So why don't you go there by yourself while I stay here in Konoha?"

"Never!" she roared behind the screen. "You _are_ coming with me, period. Besides, I wouldn't miss this long lost lovers' encounter for the world! And I want to see if this beautiful elemental kunoichi is worthy enough to steal you from me."

"She's not beautiful, and I'm not interested in her!"

"It's ok, Neji-kun. Denial is understandable. So, let's go?" Ino came from behind the screen, carrying a wooden staff in her hand, clad in a skimpy purple outfit.

"Could you at least finish dressing first?" she glared at him. He sighed again. "Ok, then. You better be prepared; it's a long walk to Kouya, and I'm not carrying you."

* * *

**A/N:** Ino's outfit is on my deviantart account (check my profile for the link).


	3. Chapter 3

_The story so far..._

_After helping the elemental kunoichi Sakura get the Ichibi no Shukaku Sapphire, Neji is informed that other of the Nine Tailed Beasts gems was right there, in Konoha. His friends convince him to get the Yonbi no Sokou Diamond from Yamanaka Ino, its guardian and the world's most powerful kunoichi. After mistaking him for a thief, she invites herself to join him in a journey to Kouya in order to deliver the Diamond right into Sakura's hands._

* * *

**Chapter 3. The mercenary shinobi**

There was a big party in Konoha. Their beloved Yamanaka Ino, the world's most powerful kunoichi, bid goodbye to the town and was leaving for a classified S-rank mission, along with their prized jounin Hyuuga Neji. She looked absolutely delighted with it, but he merely scowled.

"Awwn, aren't they lovely? I love these people! I love this village! And, above it all, I love being a kunoichi!" She beamed.

"Well, I'm _sorry_ if I don't get very excited. But I see no reason for all this commotion."

"Oh come on, Neji-kun! I feel so loved here!"

He decided to ignore her.

"So, are you ready to go? I just can't wait to meet this not-so-beautiful elemental kunoichi of yours!"

"You better calm down a little," he answered, "and we're taking the wrong path. Kouya is an island; we should head to the nearest shore to try and take a boat."

"Neji-kun, you have a bad memory for a genius! Don't forget who you're traveling with! Yamanaka Ino, the world's most powerful kunoichi! Who needs a boat when you can just teleport?"

"Woman, are you insane? Neither of us have been there before. We can't just teleport to an unknown place." Oh, how he regretted their journey already.

"Well, wait and see. Ready?"

Before he could say 'wait', she twisted her wooden staff. They both disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Hooray for Yamanaka Ino!"

"Yamanaka Ino is the best!"

The party was still alive. Even though said kunoichi wasn't around anymore, the villagers - mostly men by now - still had good reasons to celebrate and drink.

"Hey, bartender!" A random drunk man yelled. "Another round of sake in honor of Ino-chan!"

"Tch._ Ino-chan_. Great shit." A grumpy voice said near the drunk man.

"Who said that?" The drunk man got up, infuriated. "Who is the son of a bitch who is talking like that about my goddess? Show yourself!"

"Yamanaka Ino, Ino, Ino-chan" the voice continued, full of despise. "Ino-chan's powers! Ino-chan's deeds! Ino-chan's boobs! Really, is she all of you can talk about? Isn't there anything more interesting than a busty semi-naked kunoichi? Losers."

Two drunk hazel eyes met a single black eye, the other one covered by an eye patch. "You're either very brave or very stupid to talk like that about our beloved Ino-chan. But will you keep that attitude with no teeth in your mouth, or if I take your only eye from its socket?" He said, moving towards the grumpy one.

The drunk man was then held by two other men. "Are you insane?" One of them said.

"For Kami's sake, don't talk like that to Kakashi! Quick, apologize!" The other pleaded.

"Did you just threaten me, drunkard?" The white-haired man said in a menacing tone.

"Oooh, what's wrong with you all? Are you afraid of this one? Really, what could he possibly-"

He was cut by a finger on his forehead. He fell limp on the floor. Two of his friends popped out of nowhere and tried to subdue the offender. Then all hell broke loose.

* * *

With his back against a cold stone wall, Kakashi slowly regained consciousness. He could faintly hear a familiar voice nearby, talking to one of the jailers.

"It must be a mistake, mam. Your friend is not here. Inside the cell, there is only Hatake Kakashi, a troublemaker mercenary shinobi. He has no friends."

"But Kakashi is _my_ friend, sir! May I see him?"

"Mam, I don't think it's a good idea. When he gets angry, he loses control and goes berserk. It wouldn't be safe for a petite lady like yourself to be anywhere near him"

"Sir, I need his help so much! Can't you just let him go?"

"Well... There is the bail."

"I have no money. Perhaps you could... accept something else instead?"

"Hmmmm" the man moaned. "Hmmmm that is so good..." He moaned again. "Ok Kakashi," the jailer now talked to him "you are free to go."

He left. He saw the jailer happily holding a basket full of exotic fruits. He know they were the most delicious fruits in the world, but they only grew in one specific island...

"It's ok Kakashi, you can leave now!" The woman said brightly. He just looked at her, saying nothing. "Kakashi? It's me, Sakura, from Kouya... Don't you... remember me?"

"Where are the clothes I gave you?"

She stared at him, not believing what he said. "What? Is it the only thing you have to say?"

"If you came after hugs and tears of joy, then I'm afraid you won't get any." By the tone of his voice, she could tell he was utterly angry. "I'm going home. You should do the same."

* * *

The woods nearby Otogakure no Sato. Home for many rogue shinobi, and even worst dangers. A bad place to visit...

"Ta-daaa! Neki-kun, here we are... Thousands of miles from our destination." Ino looked at him as if there was nothing wrong. "Are you ready to try again?"

"No, woman! I'm not ready to try again! Listen, you can be the world's most powerful kunoichi... but enough is enough. You've been teleporting us to _several_ wrong places. I'm done."

"But... but... I stopped everything I was doing so I could help you with your quest, and this is how you treat me? You ungrateful heartless jerk!" She turned around and sobbed noisily.

He sighed. "Look, I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. Let's try again. I know you can do it."

She turned around again, now beaming. "Really, Neji-kun?" She hugged him tightly. "You trust me! I knew you had a good heart!"

Ino didn't seem to notice it, but he did. A few Oto-nins started to gather around them. "Right, whatever. Can we go now?"

"Oooh you are anxious to see your not-so-beautiful girl, I knew it!" She purred. The enemies were getting closer.

"Now, woman!"

"Ok, ok! Got it!" They disappeared in the nick of time. A kunai flew right through were they had just been.

* * *

"Tch. I meant you should go back to _your_ home, not mine."

Sakura looked around. Kakashi called it home, but it was actually an abandoned hut in the woods surrounding Konoha. "So... _This_ is where you live now?"

He snapped. "Do you have any problem with it? They wouldn't allow me to live inside Konoha, but at least I can go to the tavern, the Ichiraku Ramen. An interesting place, with crappy food and good sake. And you can't even imagine the _stories_ they tell there. The other day, that Hyuuga pompous brat was bragging about how heroic he was when he helped an_ elemental kunoichi_. He said she was after the Nine Tailed Beasts gems. Would you happen to know who she is?"

She had the decency to blush. "Well... We went into the Palace of Gaara... and then... Are you mad at me?" She was almost whispering in shame.

"Mad? No. I'm not mad. I'm furious! I told you to never leave Kouya! It's the only thing I ever asked you! And you screwed it!"

"Please... Don't talk to me like that. It's true that nature was my mother... but you are the closest thing to a father that I have! The animals from Kouya gave me food, shelter and comfort. I'm grateful for that, but... I was a beast. I couldn't even walk on two legs. You taught me to walk, to talk, to wear clothes, to wield weapons. Told me about the world outside the island. Its people, its cities, its evil. Nature made me alive, but you, Kakashi, you made me human!"

He ignored her tears. "It was a long time ago. I was still young. I felt sorry for you, because I knew what was like to grow away from others. And you were so innocent, so pure... The only one who never treated me as a monster. It was nice spending time with someone like that. But I don't need it anymore. I have my home and a job - a mercenary. I don't make lots of money, but it's enough for the booze. And, since I'm not spending another night in jail, I'll take another job. I'll look for a group of rogue shinobi that are attacking travelers in these woods. And you are coming with me."

* * *

Yakushi Kabuto. One of the major villains of the world. A bad person to visit...

"So," Kabuto said, while pushing his glasses with his finger, "let me see if I got it right. Are you telling me that you got here by _accident?_"

Ino smiled and nodded furiously. "Exactly! We don't want any trouble with you. You know, teleporting two people at once, towards an unknown location, is a tricky thing to do. You're not killing us, right?"

Neji stood beside her, looking firmly at the criminal. He decided to keep quiet, but inside he was livid.

"No. I'm not killing you. Not today. Death should be earned in battle, not caused by a stupid mistake. Now, disappear from my sight."

"Right away, sir! Farewell!" And, with a poof, they were gone.

"Farewell?" Kabuto said to himself. "No... See you soon."

* * *

"Tch. Dreams? You're after the gems because of dreams?" Kakashi was taken aback by her revelation, as they walked through the woods searching for the rogue shinobi group.

"Yes. The dreams tell me to collect all nine gems. At first, I tried to ignore them... then the dreams became nightmares. Blood in the sky... Flames... Demons... A great evil is going to attack this world, and the gems can stop it."

He sighed. "It's good to know it. When I heard you were after treasures, I lost my mind. I thought you had soiled yourself with human greed. It was the greatest disappointment in my life. I drank until I lost my senses."

"Wow, Kakashi... I'm sorry! You are the last person I would hurt..."

"Don't you come with your sweet talk! With or without nightmares, I'm still pissed at you for breaking your promise. Now be quiet. It seems that we found our target."

Indeed, they could hear a growing sound of laughter. Soon, there they were - some rogue shinobi around a fire. In their arrogance, they must have thought it would be safe to light a fire and remain unseen. "I should have known it." Kakashi muttered under his breath. "I know these scumbags. Now I see why there was never a body to be found."

"Eh? What do you mean?" She was truly intrigued.

"You are too innocent to see it. Do you think your nightmares are bad? This world is way worse than your nightmares. Look at _what_ these bastards are eating."

Sakura squinted her eyes. What she thought to be some wild animal was, actually, a human hand. She gasped loudly.

* * *

Somewhere on the ocean, aboard the _Kagemane,_ which happened to be the battleship belonging to Nara Shikamaru. Very bad. Period.

"Ne, if you keep treating me like that, I will never set my feet on this boat again!" An oh-so-sweet female voice whined. "Mou, Shika-chan! You're making me think you don't like me anymore! I swear it won't happen again!"

"Suuuuure", he snarled, his voice low and somewhat lazy. "That's what you said the other time... and the other... and the other..."

Neji just stared at the line between the sky and the ocean. Not that there was much to do, as he and Ino were securely tied to a heavy anchor.

"Ok then, Shika-kun. Now it's serious! I thought you missed our good old times! But, if you don't want to see me again, just say it."

"I think I'll do a little bit more than that. Troublesome woman." With a devilish grin, Shikamaru threw the anchor to the sea.

"I HATE YOU, Nara Shikamaru! I will never ever put my gracious little feet on your boat in my life!"

"Riiiight, just like you said the other time..." and the anchor was gone with a poof of smoke, "and the other, and the other..."

* * *

"Hush! Did you just hear that?" One of the rogue shinobi asked. "It was a woman's cry!"

"I hope so!" Another rogue shinobi answered. "Their flesh is so much tastier, even better seasoned with tears!" With a kunai in hand, he darted in Kakashi's and Sakura's general direction.

"Tch. Is that so? I'll make sure to write it down in my recipe book."

One rogue shinobi head went flying back to where the others were.

"Did you enjoy your last meal? I truly hope so." Kakashi emerged from the woods, sword in hand, followed by a wood armor clad Sakura. "You know, human flesh is bad for your health. It might end up killing you."

"It's him! The mercenary! Hill him! I want his head as a trophy in my living room!" The alledged leader of the group said, grabbing his weapons.

"Brag as much as you want... Because really soon I will kill you, rip your limbs off, gather your blood inside a pitcher and wash my face with it tomorrow morning to cure my hangover." He said, while almost effortlessly killing two of them.

"Look how cute! Doesn't she look like a little girl playing with a wooden sword?" The two rogue shinobi around her laughed hard.

"Do you like playing, girl? Come with us! Let us play together!" They laughed even harder, trying to scare her.

"SHUT UP!" In a swift move, she buried her wooden sword into one man's ribcage. But then she couldn't retrieve her sword. "What? It's stuck!"

"Too bad, little girl! But you know, steel blades do not get stuck in bones. Wanna see?" A kunai was raised, aiming for her chest, and she tried desperately to get her sword of of the other man's dead body.

Suddenly, her attacker was cut in half.

"Tch. These rogue shinobi are getting worse. I though only the most savage of them ate human flesh. That's just unacceptable." He ranted, while searching the bags. "Here. I found something belonging to the victims. Take it."

He threw something in the air, and she caught it. Her eyes widened. "Isn't it one of those gems you're looking for?"

Sakura blinked in disbelief. "It's the Rokubi no Raijuu Emerald... How did you know where to find it?"

Kakashi smirked. " I heard rumors about a rogue group pursuing a Hoshigakure team that was tracking down a Tailed Beast gem. I decided to give it a try. You were lucky we found it."

"Are you... going to help me gather all the gems?" She said, with tears in her eyes.

"I don't want you to be in this world, baby girl. The sooner you gather the gems, the sooner you'll be safely back at Kouya... So let's find all those damn gems and- why are you looking at me like that?"

"'Baby girl'... It's been forever since you last used your petname for me..." She caught a tear in her middle cheek, smiling. "Are you sure I can't get a hug?"

He sighed. "Ok, whatever. Come here." And his arms engulfed her petite frame in a tight but tender embrace.

* * *

In Sekai's frozen South pole...

"ENOUGH! I'm done with teleport jutsus. We're going on foot!"

"Suit yourself!"


End file.
